"I don't want to talk about her," Lloyd said, grabbing two glasses and a bottle of whisky before joining Ezekiel to sit down. He then poured the wine into the glasses and threw in some ice cubes.
"Not talking about her doesn't take her out of the picture. She has appeared again, and we know she is not easy to get rid of," Ezekiel reasoned but Lloyd shrugged it off like it was nothing. "What if Anna appears as well?" He asked.
The glass that was about to touch his lips halted just an inch away as his hand shook at the mention of that name. A few seconds later, he went ahead and downed the wine until the glass was empty and picked up the bottle again.
"Won't you say something?" Ezekiel studied his friend trying his hardest to read him, but all of his efforts proved pointless.
"What would you have me say?" He capped the bottle and pushed it forward as if it suddenly disgusted him. "If she ever comes back, then I'll think of something. Right now, I don't want to think about any of the Henshaws, Ezekiel. Please drop this conversation." They've hurt him enough, and thinking about them would only reopen old wounds.
"You should be prepared for their return Lloyd…." Ezekiel said, but Lloyd interrupted him.
"And what about you and Diana? Have you apologized to her?" Ezekiel frowned at the question, and Lloyd knew he had hit a sour spot, but he just couldn't help it. Ezekiel wasn't keeping quiet when he should have.
"Don't even go there," Ezekiel's expression darkened. He didn't expect him to use that as his way of shutting him up.
"We both know that Damian will keep his word. You hurt his sister, Ezekiel. Fix it before he turns on you. Focus on that and let me deal with my issue as I see fit," Lloyd said, a smirk on his lips as Ezekiel glared at him, but he could see the defeat in his eyes.
"Fine, I won't bother you anymore," Ezekiel said as he picked up his glass and downed the wine. They each had their troubles and dealt with them differently. Poking wasn't advisable, especially when the other person knows all about you. Almost as much as you know yourself.
Damian was a good friend. He was the best friend they could ask for, but they also knew that he could be very cruel. For someone who adored his sister and pampered her like none other, they knew he could even forsake their years of friendship if it meant protecting his baby sister.
"I should go," Ezekiel said after his glass was emptied.
"All he wants is a good explanation and a sincere apology. Maybe not to him but to Diana. That should be enough. And besides, you owe it to her as her man," Ezekiel gave him a side glance but didn't speak.
Lloyd was right, and he knew that, but he was afraid of her reaction. Diana was a bit of a difficult character. He thought he was used to it but now he realized that he was wrong. He was afraid of her. Not that she was violent but at how she would take it. She might just end up leaving him.
"Do you get it now?" Lloyd's voice came once again and Ezekiel clicked his tongue in irritation. He heard Lloyd stand up and came to stand beside him. "There are some things we do not wish to talk about even though we know that we will have to face them eventually. I have accepted that, but I won't stress over it. I don't even want to think about it, but I can't help it either. I still wonder why she left. Why had she never said anything to me and even after all these years, she hadn't appeared for me or Pearl? I also wonder why she never said anything about her mother to me back then… Anyway, I do hope you and Diana have it better than us."
He sounded sincere, and Ezekiel he was.
"Thanks," Ezekiel said and Lloyd nodded his head. He couldn't believe he ended up being the one giving advice.
***
" Carl," Evelyn called the butler who appeared almost immediately as if he had been waiting around the corner for her call. "Where is Anna? Call her down here. It's time for dinner," Evelyn ordered.
"Yes, Madam," Carl gave a respectful bow before he left to get the young miss. Reaching her room, he knocked softly while listening to hear if she said anything.
"Dinner has been served, Young Miss. Would you like to come down or would you prefer…" He started but she finished it for him.
"I will have my dinner here. Have it sent over, Carl," As he had expected, Anna preferred having her dinner alone.
"Understood. I will have it sent to you right away," Carl said and left to go and report to Evelyn. She would eventually throw a fit in rage but he couldn't force Anna against her will. Evelyn wouldn't want him to do that either.
"She isn't coming today either, is she?" Evelyn asked as soon as she saw him coming down the stairs without Anna. Her heart ached but, like always, she had to deal with it. She thought she had gotten used to the feeling but it turns out that she hasn't.
"I'm sorry I was unable to convince her, Madam," Carl said but all she did was nod. The meal in front of her suddenly lost its taste and became cold.
"It is not your fault, Carl. It is mine. I should have dealt with it when it started but I entertained it." Evelyn stood up, pushed the chair back and left the dining room. Carl didn't need to ask her where she was going, he already knew.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Anna was busy with some documents, completely unaware of her mother's approaching form. That was until she heard the knock on the door and before she could respond, the door was pushed open and Evelyn walked inside.
"You and I need you to talk, Anna," she said immediately as she entered and closed the door.
Anna looked at her for a moment before she closed the documents and kept them beside her on the bed. "I thought we did that earlier? Did I imagine that happening?"
"This is about your marriage with the young master of the…" Evelyn didn't get to finish when Anna interrupted her. Her tone was cold and her gaze piercingly challenging.